Changing our name was more than just a fun project, it was part of our strategy to get more work for you. Read our Top Ten list to find out how this change affects you!

Several months ago, we came across the opportunity to acquire the domain name and website Voices.com. Our initial feeling was that re-branding our ( and your ) website to Voices.com would be the best move, despite the technical challenges that lay in front of us.

However before we made the switch, we decided to consult with various professionals within our personal networks. David spoke with software developers, branding consultants and venture capitalists, while I connected with bloggers and people from the media. We also spoke with you, our members, to ensure that you'd be happy with the move.

The conclusion? We decided to take the plunge and change the name.

Here are some of the reasons why re-branding as Voices.com was and is the best business decision for our team, as well as all of you.

1. It's short.

2. It's memorable.

3. It's easy to spell.

4. Word of mouth will accelerate. It's simple to say "Listen to me on Voices.com" or "My demos are at Voices.com".

5. The word "voices" was already part of the previous name "interactivevoices", so the new name was more of a refinement of the familiar as opposed to the shock of abrupt change.

6. Our top search engine rankings would stay intact. With the change complete, we're confident that Google, Yahoo! and MSN have successfully indexed the new site and will continue to do so.

7. Your website would have a very cool URL - yourname.voices.com

8. The name encompasses the entire industry, not just a portion of it. Many have mistakenly viewed interactivevoices.com as a source for telephony projects such as voicemail, on-hold recording and IVR, which is the abbreviation for "interactive voice response". Voices.com is home to professionals who record for all applications. In essence, we cast a larger net for you.

9. A modest update to our company logo, brighter colors and easier navigation could all be accomplished at once.

10. An opportunity to deliver a new, but familiar layout and move to a CSS-based design. This means that Voices.com works well not only on Mac and PC, but also on Palm, BlackBerry and all mobile phones. Text size can also be increased or decreased to improve the usability.

The better, shorter, more memorable name will help us to tell our story to clients, producers, casting directors and talent agents resulting in more voice-over work for you.

Comments

Am I happy with the new name "Voices.com"?! How could I not be?! It just makes it so much easier to refer people to my page. And, when you mix in the newest tools that Voices.com is bringing in, the new Voices.com is a "win-win" for everyone!